What must a person do to be saved? Paul, with Israel in mind, answers that question. Israel was pursuing righteousness by works, and would not subject themselves to God’s righteousness. Paul teaches that people must abandon that approach, and instead pursue it by faith: faith in what Christ has accomplished, faith in the risen Lord, faith from the heart, and faith that expresses itself in confession.
[powerpress]
How Do Sinners Receive Salvation?
Romans 10:5-13
Ray Stedman, former pastor of Peninsula Bible Church in Palo Alto, tells the story of when he had gone to the movies. The seat beside him was vacant, and somebody came up and said, “Is this seat saved?” Ray, promptly replied, “No, but I am!” The man quickly found a seat across the aisle. There are probably not many words in our Christian vocabulary which make people more uncomfortable than the word “saved.” Non-Christians may cringe when they hear the word. They are used to seeing downtown missions with the glowing neon sign “Jesus saves” on it. But regardless of whether the word “saved” makes people uncomfortable or not, it is a Biblical word to be sure. In Romans 10:5-13, the word or its derivative appears three times.
Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”
Romans 10:10, “for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Romans 10:13, “for whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
To be saved refers to being rescued. Biblically, it speaks of being rescued from sin and its consequences. It is to be delivered from the penalty and power of sin, and ultimately even from the presence of sin. It is to be rescued from God’s holy wrath against all unrighteousness. Every person in the world needs to be saved, because every person by nature is lost. Scripture tells us that by nature, we are born dead in trespasses and sins and are children of wrath, headed for an eternity in hell. Thankfully, Paul tells us very clearly in this passage how a person can be saved.
If you are a Christian, Paul’s teaching here is important for you so that you are able to clearly communicate with others how they can be saved. If you are not a Christian, Paul’s teaching is extremely important, because by learning and applying what we have in the Scriptures here, you can be saved! Listen very carefully, because your eternal salvation is at stake.
In Romans 10:3-4, Paul has told us one of the earthly reasons why Israel was not saved. It was because they were ignorant of God’s righteousness, and went about seeking to establish their own righteousness, with the result that they refused to submit to God’s righteousness. They wanted to have something that they could take credit for, and glory in. However, in reality, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. When a man comes to Jesus Christ the law has accomplished its work. Never again will that man have to try to keep the law in order to be righteous. God has clothed him in the perfect righteousness of His Son. In Romans 10:5-13, Paul is really simply expounding what he said in verse 4. Verse 4 has four important words – Christ, righteousness, everyone, believes. Paul is going to take up these themes and explain to us how everyone who believes can be declared righteous through Christ.
In this passage Paul gives us three important truths about salvation. 1) It is not through the Law; 2) It is through faith; 3) It is offered to all.
1. Salvation Is Not Through The Law: (10:5)
Romans 10:5, “For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.” Paul, here, is quoting Leviticus 18:5 which says, “So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man many live if he does them; I am the Lord.” In other words, perfect obedience to the Law would obtain eternal life from God. The penalty for breaking God’s law was death. “The soul that sins shall surely die.” Therefore, all a person has to do to avoid death is to perfectly obey God’s Law. This is theoretically correct, but impossible in practice. No human being, except for Jesus Christ, has ever kept God’s Law perfectly. Paul even says in Galatians 3:10, “for as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, to perform them.”
The Problem of the Jew. His problem was that he was going about seeking to establish his own righteousness based on the Law, but he was doomed to failure! As long as a person is pursuing self-righteousness based on law-keeping, he will never be saved.
2. Salvation Is Through Faith: (10:6-10)
Notice the Emphasis on Faith. It appears in 10:6,8,9,10,11, and is applied in 12 and 13 in the phrase “call on Him.”
1) It is Faith in what Christ Has Accomplished. Paul is contrasting righteousness based on law, with righteousness based on faith. Paul is quoting Deuteronomy 30:11-14, which speaks of the Jew’s accessibility to God’s commandment, and he applies it to the Christian’s accessibility to Christ. I believe Paul does this because Christ perfectly kept the commandments, thus to have access to Christ is to have access to perfect law-keeping righteousness. Paul says we don’t have to scale the heights of heaven or plumb the deepest depths to gain our salvation. We don’t have to bring Christ down from heaven, because He already came down in the incarnation. We don’t have to descend into the abyss to bring Christ up from the dead, for He already rose from the dead. The gospel does not require us to DO anything! It tells us everything has already been done by Jesus Christ on our behalf. Therefore, salvation is not distant, inaccessible, or complicated. Salvation couldn’t be closer, more accessible, or simpler. The Word of the gospel is so close that it is in your mouth and heart. Friends, righteousness by faith is concerned with God’s work, not ours. The work is done. There is nothing left for us to do, other than to receive it by faith.
Dwight Moody. I remember a story of a man who came up to the great evangelist, D. L. Moody, on the last night of his crusade, as the work crew was folding up the chairs and dismantling the platform. The man had postponed giving his life to Christ, and had never gone forward at the meetings. He plucked up his courage and came to Mr. Moody and said trembling, “Mr. Moody, what must I do to be saved?” Moody, replied, “I’m sorry sir, but you’re too late!” The man cried out in desperation, “too late! Surely I’m not too late!” Moody replied, “Yes sir, you’re too late. As a matter of fact, you’re two thousand years too late if you are trying to do something to be saved. All the ‘doing’ has been done. But if you would like to receive Christ as your Savior, you’re just in time. You can do that right here, right now.”
On another occasion Moody heard an old preacher say, “I have learned three things in the last 42 years.” Moody pricked up his ears. He said, “I thought if I could find out in three minutes what a man had taken 42 years to learn, I would like to do it!” The preacher said, “1) I can do nothing to save myself; 2) God does not require me to do anything to save myself; and 3) Jesus Christ has done it all, salvation is finished, and all I have to do is receive what He accomplished.”
The Message of the Law. The Law’s message is “Do and live.” The message of the gospel is “Believe and live.” Rather than “do and live” the truth is we “live and do.”
Harry Ironside. One day the popular Bible expositor, Harry Ironside was preaching on a street corner. He was sometimes interrupted by hecklers who would shout out, “There are hundreds of religions, each one believes theirs is the only right one. How can poor plain men like us find out the truth?” Ironside shot back, “Hundreds? I’ve heard of only two. One covers all who expect salvation by doing. The other by something done. The whole question is very simple. Can you save yourself, or must you be saved by Another?”
2) It Is Faith In The Risen Lord. Notice Romans 10:9, “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…”
Lord. What does the word mean? It is the word “kurios” in the Greek. It literally means, “Master.” It is the word a slave would use for the one who owned him. When we say that Jesus is our Lord, what we are really saying is that we have given up the right to run our own lives, and that now Jesus is the Boss. I am His servant, and it is my responsibility to obey Him. The Greek word “kurios” was used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament over 6,000 times, and commonly referred to the God of the Old Testament. So, when we say that Jesus is Lord, we are saying He is our Master, and He is God. The Roman emperors insisted that all their subjects confess “Caesar is Lord.” However, faithful Christians would not do it. Only Christ is Lord.
Raised Him from the Dead. This text teaches us that no one is saved unless they believe that God raised Jesus from the dead. Now, why doesn’t Paul put the emphasis on confessing Christ as our Savior? Interestingly, in the book of Acts Jesus is referred to as Savior two times, and Lord over one hundred times! The emphasis in American Christianity is to confess Christ as Savior, but the emphasis in Scripture is to confess Him as Lord. Why is that? Because if a person confesses Christ as Lord, He has already become his Savior. Of course if we believe that God raised Him from the dead, we already believe He died for sins. The fact that He was raised implies that God was satisfied with His death as a full payment for sin, and the resurrection is God’s stamp of approval on His sacrifice. Today in America we have two kinds of believers – those that acknowledge Christ as Savior, and those who acknowledge Him as Lord. We are told that a person can be saved without acknowledging Jesus as Lord. The Bible knows nothing of this distinction. Either Jesus is your Lord, or He is not your Savior! Unless a person surrenders to Christ’s lordship, he is not saved! Saving faith includes heart surrender of the will to Christ. Remember, that in the Passover the children of Israel had to consume the entire lamb. When we come to Christ, we must embrace Him in all His offices.
Thomas Shephard (the English Puritan) once wrote, “What does God offer in the gospel? Is it not first Christ, and then all the benefits of Christ? The Lord Jesus Christ must be received in His whole mediatorial office, as Savior and Lord, as Prophet, Priest and King; for never did any man take Jesus Christ savingly, who took Him not for a Husband and a Lord, to serve, love and obey forever after, as well as a Savior to disburden him of his sins; as a King to govern him by His Word and Spirit, as well as a Priest to wash him in His blood.”
3) It Is Faith From The Heart. Romans 10:9 says a person must believe in his heart. In Scripture, the heart refers to the inner person. It includes the mind, emotions, and will. Therefore, saving faith is not just a mental assent to a doctrinal creed. It involves personal commitment. It is a trust that involves the surrender of the will, and brings forth repentance and obedience to Christ.
4) It Is Faith Expressed Through Confession. Notice the emphasis on “mouth” and “heart” all the way through verses 8-10, “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” – that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. Jesus taught in Matthew 12:34, “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.” Believing should always precede confession. Confession without believing is hypocrisy. Believing without confession is self-deception. God requires both. A person who is truly born again will confess Christ as Lord. It is a natural consequence of true faith in Christ. The old adage is true, “If on Jesus Christ you trust, speak for Him you surely must.” My friend, if you won’t confess Christ before men, you have good reason to wonder whether God has saved you!
3. Salvation Is Offered To All (10:11-13)
Note Paul’s All-Inclusive Language. Romans 10:11-13, “For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the Same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Whoever, no distinction, all, all, whoever – all these terms tell us in unmistakable language that God has thrown open His offer of salvation to all people everywhere.
Will Not Be Disappointed. Verse 11 is a quote from Isaiah 28:16. To be disappointed is to be disillusioned. Paul is saying that if a person casts off his hope of earning salvation by law-keeping and relies entirely on God’s work, he will never be disappointed. God will come through for Him. We can trust Him.
No Distinction. This is exactly what Paul has already told us back in Romans 3:22-23, “even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” All people are sinners and in need of God’s righteousness. God offers His righteousness to all. Nationality has no bearing on whether a person can be saved. In the Old Testament, salvation was primarily limited to Israel. They were the privileged nation which had the oracles of God. But in the New Testament, the word of the gospel is preached to all the nations under heaven, inviting and even commanding all men to repent and believe the gospel. In Revelation 5:9 the whole multitude of heaven cries out, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”
Call on the name of the Lord. This calling on the name of the Lord is an expression of faith. Paul says that whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed, for the Lord abounds in riches for all who call on Him. This is a cry for mercy. This is the cry of the person that knows they are a sinner, and is under God’s displeasure and wrath, and is headed for eternal judgment. But, having heard that God is merciful, and that there is good news in the gospel takes courage and calls on the name of the Lord, and asks Him to be merciful. He echoes the same prayer of the tax collector in Jesus’ parable and cries, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner!”
Abounding in Riches. Here is the wonderful blessing that comes to all who believe, all who call, all who confess – abounding riches! These riches are primarily spiritual and eternal riches. Paul is not talking about earthly wealth. He’s talking about eternal riches.
Romans 9:23, “And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory.”
Ephesians 1:7, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us.”
Romans 2:4, “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?”
Romans 11:33, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!”
Ephesians 2:4, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us.”
Ephesians 2:7, “so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 3:16, “that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man,”
Did you notice something about these riches? They are all the attributes of God! God’s riches are the riches of His glory, grace, kindness, tolerance, patience, wisdom, knowledge, and mercy. God’s riches are communicated by giving us of Himself! Our eternal inheritance is God! And the more we commune with Him now, the more of these riches we can enjoy now!
Conclusion
Salvation is not for those who try, but for those who trust. It is not for those who behave, but for those who believe. My friends, you must cease from your efforts, and trust in God’s. Salvation is open and available to any and all who will rest in Christ’s finished work.
I would like to conclude this message by giving you a lengthy quote from the great 18th century evangelist, George Whitefield. This is taken from his sermon, “Christ’s Everlasting Righteousness.” “Are any of you depending upon a righteousness of your own? Do any of you here think to save yourselves by your own doings? I say to you… your righteousness shall perish with you. Poor miserable creatures! What is there in your tears? What in your prayers? What in your performances, to appease the wrath of an angry God? Away from the trees of the garden; come, ye guilty wretches, come as poor, lost, undone, and wretched creatures, and accept of a better righteousness than your own. As I said before, so I tell you again, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is an everlasting righteousness; it is wrought out for the very chief of sinners. Ho, every one that thirsteth, let him come and drink of this water of life freely. Are any of you wounded by sin? Do any of you feel you have no righteousness of your own? Are any of you perishing for hunger? Are any of you afraid ye will perish forever? Come, dear souls, in all your rags; come, thou poor man; come, thou poor distressed woman; you, who think God will never forgive you, and that your sins are too great to be forgiven; come, thou doubting creature, who art afraid thou wilt never get comfort; arise, take comfort, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of life, the Lord of glory, calls for thee… O let not one poor soul stand at a distance from the Savior… O come, come! Now, since it is brought into the world by Christ, so, in the name, in the strength, and by the assistance of the great God, I bring it now to the pulpit; I now offer this righteousness, this free, this imputed, this everlasting righteousness, to all poor sinners who will accept of it… Think, I pray you, therefore, on these things; go home, go home, go home, pray over the text, and say, ‘Lord God, Thou hast brought an everlasting righteousness into the world by the Lord Jesus Christ; by the blessed Spirit bring it into my heart’, then die when ye will, ye are safe; if it be tomorrow, ye shall be immediately translated into the presence of the everlasting God; that will be sweet! Happy they who have got this robe on; happy they that can say, ‘My God hath loved me, and I shall be loved by Him with an everlasting love!” That every one of you may be able to say so, may God grant for the sake of Jesus Christ, the dear Redeemer; to whom be glory forever. Amen.”
Brothers and Sisters, share this Good News of a free and full salvation. Tell others that Christ has accomplished the work. If they will only leave what they are presently trusting in, and trust in Him, they will be saved! And you who are without Christ, trust Him now, and be saved!
______________________________
© The Bridge
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Bridge.
Follow Us!